Organic Light Pan

I am not sure how to begin this entry.  I feel melancholy and wonder why.  Every month when the new moon returns, I prepare myself to go out with the hope of seeing it and photographing it once more.  If nothing else, the endeavor reconnects me with the heavens and the Earth.  I am looking forward to it this month, as this moon will not have the fan fare associated with the start of Ramadan or with that of Eid.  It will be a quite trip, a trip of and for the heart, a return to the beginning.  Almost twenty years ago, in the very month of October, I captured my very first moon in a photograph.

First Crescent

It was not the best of photos, but it did capture the moon, one of the youngest I have ever had the good fortune to capture.  Since that time I have seen many moons and have discovered a beauty that is rarely seen.  The new crescent moon, like many things in nature, is a hidden pearl.  I marvel at how the most valuable of things in the world are hidden and require immense effort to acquire them.  Take for example the pearl, a small iridescent orb of crystalline calcium carbonate formed over years inside an oyster or other mollusk deep underwater in the sea.  To find it naturally is quite rare, at least these days, and I cannot fathom how it was even first discovered.  To retrieve a pearl requires great effort in diving down under water tens of feet if not more, wrenching an oyster off the ocean floor, bringing it to the surface and then wrestling open the oyster with the hope that it might contain a single glowing pearl.

There is however, a deep wisdom behind this.  For as soon as something of value is discovered, the greed to own as much of it as possible soon follows, and in the wake of that greed much destruction takes place.  I have often pondered on notoriety and obscurity, asking myself which is best.  If we allow ourselves the license to follow the ego, we will strive for notoriety, for the ego always wants to be known, even if it results in its own demise.  Logic would have it, on the other hand, that obscurity is the more prudent path to follow as it will afford one much protection and desiring that protection will always keep a person safely tucked away behind the veil that conceals who they are.  However, before we all go off to hide in our shells we must understand that the hidden pearls are of no benefit if they remain hidden and revealing them and giving them the notoriety they deserve helps spread their benefit to everyone.

Discovering hidden pearls over the years with a camera in hand and sharing them with others has been both a joy and a disappointment. I find great joy in sharing my photos and more so when those who look are overjoyed with them as well.  As we gaze upon what is depicted in the photos we feel a connection with the Earth that brings all of us closer together.  A sense of wonderment and, in some respects, a longing to see in person the same thing as that shown in the photograph develops and with that the wanderlust takes over and  suddenly my audience become my companions in the field.  All of us searching, seeing and falling in love with the Earth and what she gives us, to the extent that the Earth becomes a priceless treasure, in-expendable and worthy of protection.

Obscurity

Unfortunately, as with many hidden treasures, most people are clueless to their worth until they are elevated to notoriety.  In fact, the true treasures of this world live in obscurity for their whole existence with very few ever finding them and fewer yet benefiting from what they give the world.  Although I relish finding and benefiting from the hidden pearls of the world it also brings me much disappointment that more people do not garner for themselves the benefits at hand.

We need to find some hidden pearls for ourselves and drink in the value they posses to enrich our lives then share what you gleaned from them with others in the hope that we can all come to appreciate and value them.  The pearls you find might be other people, or something in nature like a tree or an animal.  Maybe the pearls you find are the words of a poem or a song, or possibly even the precious shining moments of life when they flash before our eyes.  Whatever they might be, they must be found, valued and shared so that we can all come to cherish what we have in the world.

As I said at the start of this post, I’ll be heading out in a couple of days to search for my hidden pearl, the new crescent moon, and soon thereafter, I will return to the mountains to find the veiled autumn color that glows in obscurity.  I invite you all to tag along if you wish.  Just let me know.

Peace.

The new crescent moon of Shawwal 1431 has been seen as far east as Australia, marking the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal and the festival of breaking fast Eid Al-Fitr. I will be updating this post as the evening progresses with photos from our local area. Please come back here again. For the reports from other locations you can check Here at Crescent Watch and also Here at the Australian National Crescent Sighting Coordination Center.

Expect a West Coast update on this site at about 9pm PDT.  Till then go out and look for the crescent moon, its an uplifting experience.  It will be setting approximately 30 minutes after the sun sets, it will be approximately 3 fingers wide above the horizon (about 5° altitude) and about 2 hand spans wide to the left of the sunset point on the horizon (about 24° to the left).  Best time for it to be seen this evening on the West Coast is 7:39 pm PDT.

Stay tuned.

Update:

The new crescent moon was sighted by yours truly along with about 30 other Individuals at approximately 7:35 pm PDT from Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. Eid Al-Fitr has commenced! Eid Mubarak to all Muslim readers. Photos are forthcoming…Stay tuned.

Update:

Here is the image of the new moon for Shawwal 1431.  It was a beautiful evening with over 30 individuals attending the sighting.  Eid Mubarak to all!

Shawwal 1431

This past weekend I was exhibiting the photos once again at my local farmer’s market. It was a beautiful day, sunny, mild temperatures and plenty of people. My neighbor was a wood crafter who made various items from turned wooden pens to pepper grinders to these exquisite canes and walking sticks made out of various woods like hickory, oak, and laminates of exotic woods.

We both sat around for most of the day not making many sales at all, but all the while both he and I entertained our visitors with anecdotes about how we made the items we did. Many would come through my booth commenting on how great the photos were and then wish they had “wall space”. For my neighbor, his visitors, after eying and even handling some of the canes and sticks, would simply say ” I am not ready for cane just yet”, even though some clearly were as they limped away.

One of my long time patrons, Shirley – a lovely elderly woman who is, or maybe I should say was, an owner of a Museum Series sized After The Rain, came in and informed me that her house and everything in it had burned to the ground!  She did not live very far from my home studio and about three weeks ago, one morning I heard a cadre of sirens from various trucks and emergency vehicles.  I wondered what they could have all been rushing to.  Well I found out – it was Shirley’s home.  Fortunately she had been out that morning walking her dog and was not home when the fire started.  The authorities are still not sure what could have started the fire, but they are pretty sure it started in the garage, as Shirley related, and they are suspecting the batteries in her hybrid car, which of course is no more either.  Shirley, thank God is fine and is staying with a friend until everything is sorted out.  But she came to realize just how precious life is and she kept reiterating that to me to make sure that I understood that.  Thanks for the reminder Shirley, it is understood.

So as the day came to a close, one patron enters my booth whom I had spoken to a few weeks before.  She and her husband were interested in No More Words and I had offered to them the option of borrowing the photo for a week to try it out in their home.  At first I think they were taken aback by such an offer, and said they would think about it.  Well she came back to take me up on that offer, and told me that they have not stopped thinking about that photo.  She is borrowing it and has a few more days to decide.  Lets hope.

When that transaction was over, the market manager came up to my neighbor’s booth, the wood crafter, and pulled out one of the smoothly sanded, finished hickory walking sticks. Grabbed it by his right hand, put some weight on it, then pulled out a couple of twenties from his pocket handed to my neighbor and with a great big smile on his face passed me by way of the back side of our booths.  All of this without nearly any hesitation on the manager’s part.  As he passed me I said, “You got yourself a really good stick”.  To which he replied “Yup I sure have!” and he walked down the street stick in tow.

When we value something it is of little importance how much it “costs”.  In fact when we value something it is really priceless.  Shirley learned the value of life – and that should go without saying as a price cannot be put on life – for it is far to precious.  My patron found solace in the photo No More Words and took up a no cost offer to enjoy the photo for at least a week, before making the decision of whether or not it is worth in value what I ask for it in price.  And the market manager found great value in that good stick, a stick, a piece of wood that one could pick up for no cost in the forest, but one that would not be as handsome or as useful as the one he bought for a couple of pieces of paper.

Find what you value, whatever it is that enriches your life in some way and then really value it, consciencely and I am sure that you will find it worth much more than you ever paid for it.

Value is Hard To Find

Peace.

I want to thank all of my Tiburon patrons who came by over the weekend for a visit.  It was wonderful speaking with all of you.  And of course a very special thank you for all those who actually made a purchase of one or more photographs.  Its you folks that allow me to keep bringing the beauty of our world to light so that everyone can enjoy it.  You are much appreciated!

See you Next Year if not Sooner.
Peace.

I will be exhibiting the Organic Light Photos this coming Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th, 11 am to 6 pm both days in the lovely Marin town of Tiburon in the Tiburon Art Festival For more information check here. The weather will be perfect!

I will be showing some new work as well as the classic Organic Light images that you have all come to know and love.

It would be great to see you there.

“To err is human to forgive divine” –  Alexander Pope’s words from An Essay on Criticism.  True in every sense but one.  Why can’t emulate the attributes of the Divine?  In fact we find within us many of the attributes of the Divine and forgiveness is certainly one of them.  However, what usually manifests among us humans are not the Divine attributes that raise us to high stations but rather degrading states of blameworthy actions that debase us.

Rather than Generosity we commonly find Avarice and Greed.  In place of Justice we often find Inequity.  Instead of Truth we hear Lies.  Rather than Forgiveness we find Blame.  And while all of these rarely found attributes in humans are mercies on to themselves, I think the greatest of all divine attributes missing from our human discourse is Forgiveness.

To forgive someone for a slight, trespass, injustice or any wrong perpetrated against the wronged would place that person in a very high station indeed. It is difficult to act accordingly when indignation takes hold of one’s heart.  However we do need to remember that to show forgiveness is a great act of mercy.  And if we desire that mercy be shown to us, we must act accordingly.

Need I remind, as the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said in an amazing tradition – “Those who are merciful will have mercy shown to them by the Most Merciful.  Show mercy to those who are on Earth and the One who is in heaven will have mercy on you”.

Forgiveness is an overarching act of mercy in that in spite of the wrong perpetrated, the forgiver can still allow the one seeking forgiveness absolution.  If we find it difficult to forgive others, maybe its because we cannot forgive ourselves or possibly that we have never sought out forgiveness so that we may taste its sweetness and desire it for others as well.  That would be the ideal, however most often than not, forgiveness only comes about through a sincere beseeching of the one wronged by the one who did wrong.

In this way, the forgiver can see that the who committed the transgression is sincere in having forgiveness shown, then a compassion in the heart can arise that would allow the one wronged to even consider forgiving.

Now think of yourselves.  Right now.  Can you forgive?  Have you ever sought out the Mercy of Forgiveness?  Have you ever felt remorse for something that you did?  Did you turn to the one who you might have slighted and asked for forgiveness?  Did you get it?  How did you know? How did it feel?

I know, as humans, we have transgressed our selves to no end.  We have transgressed against the Earth in unimaginable ways.  And we have slighted our Merciful Sustainer in ways that would shake the very firmament of our existence if we understood the gravity of our slights.

I want to be shown the Mercy of Forgiveness from the Most Merciful for what I have done.  And if it means that it could only come by The Forgiver to have mercy on every single one of us inclusively then I would wish for everyone alive today and for everyone whoever lived and for everyone who will live in days to come to be forgiven so that I may be so as well.  I hope that you, my dear reader, can find such mercy in your heart to hope for the same.

Repentance

Peace.

P.S.  And so concludes the 10 days of Mercy.  We move now into the the 10 days of Forgiveness.  Its now time to get to work.

We all know the famous words immortalized in time “Do unto others as you would have done unto you“ attributed to Jesus the Son of Mary, peace and blessings of God be upon him. However, this moral code of conduct was not something new in his time but has been a part of every culture and religion through out time. Nonetheless, it makes it no less important.  In fact it has many variations that all lead us as human beings to reach a very high moral character.  Nearly every Prophet we know of, philosophy or culture has the same teaching, grant it in some variation in the wording.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, taught it as well and repeated in several of his traditions.  He, peace be upon him, was recorded as saying “None of you truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself”.  In another narration “None of you truly believe until you love for people what you love for yourself”.  And in his final sermon while on his final pilrgimage to Mecca, there is this excerpt, “Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you”.

When I read these words, I find a lump in my throat and I can feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes.  I have true certainty in the Messengers and Prophets of God. Among their attributes there are four that are necessary for them to be true prophets or messengers of God.  Any true messenger of God must have these four following attributes: 1. They are truthful – that is they never lie, their words are true, and I mean TRUE.  2.  They are trustworthy in their mission of guidance and delivering the message given to them, if they were given one to deliver.  3.  They deliver the entire message sent with them, holding nothing back or hiding any of it.  And 4.  They are intelligent and consciously aware, that is they are not heedless of God at any moment and can’t be fooled.  So when I read their words I hold them in high regard and take them to heart and put them to practice as best as I can.

As I grew up I came across many instances when someone would do something to me that I most definitely did not like and in fact sometimes found the action quite abhorrent. When those situations would occur, I would make a deep mental note not to do the same in return to that person or to anyone else.  I hope that following such a path has made me a better person, and a better believer.

When I think about the possible consequences of putting those teachings into practice on a global level I shudder.  The awe that overcomes me when I think that we could live in harmony with each other by simply doing good to each other is sometimes to great.

I want to be respected for who I am.  Is it that hard to do the same to everyone else?  I want to feel safe in my home, my city, my country.  Is it so hard that we can’t extend that feeling to everyone, everywhere?  I do not like getting hurt.  Is it that hard to restrain my hands or my tongue from hurting others?  You only have to put yourself in another’s shoes and ask if you yourself – would I like it if what I am about to do to this other person is something that I would like done to me?  If we asked ourselves this question I think we could bring this world to a very peaceful state.  The difficult part is not in acting thusly, but it is in being conscience people about our actions and reflecting about the consequences of our actions before we do them.

And I know the criticisms that have come up about the golden rule and its “loop holes”.  I don’t want to entertain those as they are the words of critics and critics rarely have anything good to say about anything.  To them their life and to me my own.  I know… that if this golden rule is the guidance of those Beacons of Light sent to us by The Most Merciful, The Compassionate, then it is one of the greatest mercies that this world has ever seen and it is worthy of following it, no matter what.

True Colors

Till Tomorrow, Peace.

Imagine if we had to grow up without anyone teaching us a thing.  What if our parents did not teach us how to walk?  Or if they did not teach us how to speak, or to eat with utensils, go to the bathroom, how to wash our hands afterwards, how to get dressed, comb our hair, brush our teeth.  What might we have turned into?

What if we did not have someone to teach us how to read and write, how to add, subtract, multiply and divide.  What if no one ever taught us at all,  how would we know anything?  How many times have you confronted something that you were ignorant of and felt overwhelmed and wished you had someone to walk you through the first time so you could learn how to do whatever it was you were trying to do?  I know I have.

We are all born ignorant and all knowledge is acquired in one way or another. Given a proper education and we can live an erudite life, remain ignorant and an ignoble life is all we will find.  Obtaining an education is not all easy especially without a teacher. Teaching is one of the noblest of all callings that I can think of. The transmission of knowledge from teacher to student is scared whether the knowledge itself is sacred or secular.  It is an intimate relationship, one that fosters communication between student and teacher.  A student cannot learn, no matter how great the thirst for knowledge is without a teacher willing to give what he or she knows.  A teacher cannot instruct a person who does not come asking to be taught.

The teacher has contained within his or her heart wisdom of immense worth that can only be given to those who appreciate it, desire it and in the end honor it by teaching it to others as well.  Give it to those who do not want it, care not about it and toss it aside as if it was a trifle and it would be as if one gave pigs pearls. They know not what they have and trample over them and soil them in filth.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, came as both a teacher and as a Mercy to all of the worlds.  The mercy afforded to those who are taught by a teacher is unfathomable.  There is no measure to the depth of mercy and benefit the one acquires from the teacher.  Teaching is one of our greatest mercies bestowed upon us.  How unfortunate that we do not honor the teacher in our day and age.  Perhaps that is an indication to the lack of mercy that exists in the our world today.  Maybe all we need in the world is the impression of a teacher to bring Mercy back into the world.  We should ponder on that.

Impressions

Till Tomorrow, Peace.

Love is one of the greatest mercies endowed among humans.  It binds us together and is the impetus that fuels our ever growing population and what makes us hold on to those who have passed away.  However to often love is mistaken for infatuation and unsubstantiated passion.  Love is much deeper than that and while those feelings do come along with love in some cases, true love does not need those facets to exist and grow between us.

Love is that emotion, that emotive force that drives the lover to do anything for the sake of the beloved willingly without hesitation even if it is not in the best interest of the lover.  The lover not only loves the beloved, but loves everything that the beloved does, or makes, or says.  And when the there is reciprocation, a bond is formed between the lover and the beloved that can’t be broken.  Compassion forges it way in that bond as well and protects each from harming one another.

As love grows it becomes a safe haven, a port of protection from the ravages of an unruly world out for self gain and self aggrandizement and it fills the heart until it flows over its brim and spills out into the world to infect others who happen to be too close to the outpouring.

When this love is directed towards the Creator, the lover’s love becomes unlimited and extends to everything that the Creator has ever touched, done or will do as everything is in the fold the the Creator’s Will.  In fact one of the 99 beautiful names of God happens to be The Loving as our Creator is indeed One that Loves His creation so much so that even in spite of our transgressions we still enjoy every blessing we could think of.  But to love the creation like that, for the sake of the our Beloved, The Loving, would move us to a high station indeed. What mercy could extend to others if we loved them the way God loves them? How much violence would remain in the world? How many wars would cease?  How few there would be that were hungry, or thirsty, or homeless or orphaned? What a world this would be if our hearts popped with the Mercy of Love!

My Heart Pops

Till Tomorrow, Peace.

For anyone who lives in a region of the world where it is hot, like in a desert, I think it goes without saying that shade there is a great blessing and mercy.  Temperatures in the shade can easily be 20 to 30 degrees cooler than in the sun.

However, I want to look at shade in a different way.  Actually from a different meaning altogether.  If we understand light then we should know that light, pure light, is invisible.  I have mentioned it before in this journal that right now, there is light passing between you and this monitor and you cannot see it.  Likewise, in the total absence of light we can’t see anything either.  Mix the two, pure light and pure darkness and the result is shade.  It is only in the shade that we can actually see.  This mixing produces a spectrum of intensities that range from pure darkness to pure light.  Also, depending on the physical objects basking in this shade, we also see hues of varying color.  Mixed with the intensities, we get all the millions upon millions of possibilities in the visual spectrum that we observe in the world, all of them emanating because of shade.

In spite of the digital nature of Creation, in its continuous flip-flopping between existence and non-existence at the hand of the Sustainer, the resulting interaction of shade produces a continuous spectrum from pure darkness to pure light.  It leaves the heart in awe and the mind in unfathomable perplexity.  At the same time, by permission of The Light, one of the 99 beautiful names of God, we are given a glimpse of this amazing Creation through the mercy of shade.  It leaves me in humble awe every time I look out to see.

Postscript Light

Till tomorrow, Peace.